Posted on Mar 18, 2021

APOD: 2021 March 18 - Stardust in the Perseus Molecular Cloud

Maj William W. 'Bill' Price

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Good morning, Rallypoint. Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) is titled "Stardust in the Perseus Molecular Cloud." The Perseus Molecular Cloud (Per MCld) is a scant 850 light years away, and is found in the constellation of Perseus. It contains over 10,000 solar masses of gas and dust covering an area (in telescope terms) of 6 by 2 degrees. Unlike the Orion molecular cloud it is almost invisible apart from two clusters, IC 348 and NGC 1333 (shown here at center), where low-mass stars are formed. However, the cloud is very bright at mid and far-infrared wavelengths (the imagery from the Spitzer telescope is eye-popping) and in the submillimeter originating in dust heated by the newly formed low-mass stars.

You may recall that reflection nebulae are clouds of interstellar dust which might reflect the light of a nearby star or stars. There are a couple of those in this image as well; vdB 13 at top right, with rare yellowish reflection nebula vdB 12 near the top of the frame. Their names are derived from the Van den Bergh Catalog of Reflection Nebulae published by astronomer Sidney Van den Bergh in 1966.

APOD: 2021 March 18 - Stardust in the Perseus Molecular Cloud

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LTC Stephen F.

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John Coltrane "Stardust" (1963)

'Stardust' is from an album ("Stardust') credited to jazz musician John Coltrane, released in 1963 on Prestige Records, catalogue 7268. It is assembled from ...

Thank you my friend Maj William W. 'Bill' Price for posting the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) for Thursday, March 18, 2021 entitled "Stardust in the Perseus Molecular Cloud."

Image: Stardust in the Perseus Molecular Cloud - Image Credit & Copyright - Kerry-Ann Lecky Hepburn (TWAN), Stuart Heggie.

This scene of stardust reminds me that God sprinkled the stars into the heavens at creation :-)

APOD Background
"Explanation: Clouds of stardust drift through this deep skyscape, across the Perseus molecular cloud some 850 light-years away. Dusty nebulae reflecting light from embedded young stars stand out in the nearly 2 degree wide telescopic field of view. With a characteristic bluish color reflection nebula NGC 1333 is at center, vdB 13 at top right, with rare yellowish reflection nebula vdB 12 near the top of the frame. Stars are forming in the molecular cloud, though most are obscured at visible wavelengths by the pervasive dust. Still, hints of contrasting red emission from Herbig-Haro objects, the jets and shocked glowing gas emanating from recently formed stars, are evident in NGC 1333. The chaotic environment may be similar to one in which our own Sun formed over 4.5 billion years ago. At the estimated distance of the Perseus molecular cloud, this cosmic scene would span about 40 light-years."

Hoagy Carmichael's wonderful Stardust has been performed by many.

John Coltrane "Stardust" (1963)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbFtzeOju3A

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